Roaring applause from Disney fans filled the Anaheim Convention Center Arena as the Muppets took the stage, performing a song and dance number live on-stage. At the conclusion of the performance, Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook officially announced that the upcoming Muppet film (written by Jason Segel) will be titled The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made.

This title references an old title, developed Jim Henson in 1985 but never produced that would have featured Gonzo directing a Hollywood film and quickly blowing the project's budget. Though unconfirmed, it is likely that this new film will mirror the same storyline.

Hi Bry. Besides paying to be a member, which I'm not sure if it's required, entry to D23 costs about $40. An there will indeed be another Muppet presentation, the main one we knew about on Sunday afternoon around 1-ish PM.

Roaring applause from Disney fans filled the Anaheim Convention Center Arena as the Muppets took the stage, performing a song and dance number live on-stage. At the conclusion of the performance, Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook officially announced that the upcoming Muppet film (written by Jason Segel) will be titled The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made.

This title references an old title, developed Jim Henson in 1985 but never produced that would have featured Gonzo directing a Hollywood film and quickly blowing the project's budget. Though unconfirmed, it is likely that this new film will mirror the same storyline.

Saw this at comingsoon.net as a headline! What an announcement!

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I was gonna say, that is a very old script idea and well known to the fans, so that's so cool that they are making it!

Hi Bry. Besides paying to be a member, which I'm not sure if it's required, entry to D23 costs about $40. An there will indeed be another Muppet presentation, the main one we knew about on Sunday afternoon around 1-ish PM.

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Yeah...for non-members it's about $37. For members, I think it's somewhat less, but you still have to pay the cost of the year membership, I think. I wish I could, but I'm trying to save money on other things right now. Oh well...there's always the next thing like this. Atleast some of the MCers went to see it and we can get the news from them.

Official confirmation of a new movie is great news - that the announcement was made not during the scheduled Muppet presentation but during Dick Cook' address is even better as that shows how firmly Disney is (and on such public record) towards the 2010 relaunch. But i have mixed feelings about the news.

For those who weren't around back then, i was the one who first broke the news about the concept of "The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made" when i conducted one of Muppet Central's first celebrity interviews with Jerry Juhl. This is a movie that the Muppet team had often thought about doing and one that they would come back to considering doing for over two decades now. I would love to see this movie actually get made.

Now this is something that Juhl had worked on as had Jim himself as far as developing...way before anyone ever heard of Jason Segel so where exactly does he fit into this and why is he getting all the credit?

We know he had written a draft for a script called The Greatest Muppet Movie Ever Made (and the similarities in script title probably isn't a coincidence - he probably was aware of CHEAPEST when he came up with the title...methinks Segel may be a frequent MC visitor...maybe even a lurker on the board?) but all indications are that the whole storyline/concept was very different. At least two people have read the script and reviewed it online (aintitcoolnews and toughpigs) and the two are very different movies.

So what happened in the meantime? Did Disney pass on GREATEST but decided that they'd like Segel to do a rewrite of CHEAPEST? Did Segel hand in more than one pitch to Disney (and i hope he isn't plaigirizing the idea)?

Now i'll say it again, i've long wanted to see CHEAPEST get made and hope it does at some point. But i don't really think it's the best choice for the big 2010 movie that was going to be the highpoint of the Muppets' relauch. GREATEST seems more like a film that was written specifically to reintroduce the public to the Muppets and celebrate everything that makes them great. I really want to see that movie made next (CHEAPEST could come later...and wouldn't that be hilarious to have THE GREATEST MUPPET MOVIE EVER MADE followed by THE CHEAPEST MUPPET MOVIE EVER MADE ... or vice versa - but CHEAPEST following GREATEST is funnier imo - esp since how does one follow a project titled THE GREATEST MUPPET MOVIE EVER MADE?)

In many ways, CHEAPEST was a bit of a social commentary and inside joke of the state the Muppets were in in terms of struggling with financial backing...now they have the full Disney machine firmly behind them and the whole kind of issues that fueled the humor/irony of a film like CHEAPEST don't really apply at present. It's a great idea - one that should be made at some point, but i think it's the wrong movie at the wrong time.

Plus it kind of derails the momentum on the whole press coveridge and buzz that was generated by Segel's script that he was writing specifically for the Muppets' relaunch. This changes the whole "story" from that of noted actor/writer/filmmaker comes up with original script that relaunches the Muppets to basically serving as a pass writer on an old idea.

We'll probably have a lot more answers on what led to the change from GREATEST to CHEAPEST and how Segel actually fits into it...heck it could actually be a bit of a gag where tomorrow the Muppets take the stage and announce that Disney is now officially committed to the Muppets and the response from Disney fans towards the Muppets at D23 has been so great that they are "now" changing the movie from THE CHEAPEST MUPPET MOVIE EVER MADE to THE *GREATEST* MUPPET MOVIE EVER MADE to thunderous applause and a standing ovation.

We'll see what happens but man i'm really pulling for Segel's original idea to be the basis of the next film. CHEAPEST can always be done later - AFTER the big relaunch.

Ahh! This is great news! I wonder if anybody managed to get a video camera in... I'd LOVE to see a video of the performance, it sounds amazing! (Plus we could hopefully figure out who was playing the Frog too...)

Ahh! This is great news! I wonder if anybody managed to get a video camera in... I'd LOVE to see a video of the performance, it sounds amazing! (Plus we could hopefully figure out who was playing the Frog too...)

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The only one i have found is one that shows highlights from the whole movies thing. IT has a short amount of the performance. its on the thread in the appearances forum.

The only one i have found is one that shows highlights from the whole movies thing. IT has a short amount of the performance. its on the thread in the appearances forum.

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Thanks! I watched it and the whole thing looked amAAAAAzing! The clip was very short but the whole thing was so Muppety and wonderful... As to Steve, the Kermit puppeteering was a lot more skillful than AGT, but it concerns me that he didn't say anything in that little interview segment at the end... Ah! I just WANT to KNOW something!

Now i'll say it again, i've long wanted to see CHEAPEST get made and hope it does at some point. But i don't really think it's the best choice for the big 2010 movie that was going to be the highpoint of the Muppets' relauch. GREATEST seems more like a film that was written specifically to reintroduce the public to the Muppets and celebrate everything that makes them great.

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But surely Gonzo (if its not been re-written with Kermit) going around trying to get the Muppets back together is a good intro to a Muppet comeback? I dunno .. i thought this fitted perfectly way more than Greatest.

Movies are "re-imagined" all the time, look at Tim Burton, just this one wasn't even made originally lol. I think they will get a lot of mileage out of it being promoted as Jim Hensons film which is the angle Disney seem to be taking.

I prefer the title "Greatest" though. I think Cheapest isn't all that funny, at least not to the point where the public will "get it".

Really doesn't seem to be a "cheapest Muppet Movie" from Jason's script... I really think that he needs to find whatever notes on the film he can and try to incorporate them somehow into his script if he wants to give it that title.

But I also got the feeling by reading the thread title that his movie wasn't going to happen, and we were getting something else.

You know... If I were writing this film, all I'd have to do to change the plot of the movie, without too much work and reworking the script, is to change the performance theater being torn down to an old movie theater being torn down, and replace any instances of them trying to put on a show with instances of them trying to put on a movie. So, technically, you CAN have the same film... just a few rewrites here and there...

Imagine if the great Greatest movie script...were being produced by Gonzo, who also blew all the money on the opening credits leading to its being the Cheapest? Maybe THAT is what will happen...a bizare cross between the two. Maybe Gonzo was making a spin-off movie (MFS anyone?) and now needs to get the Muppets to help him with his movie as he's spent all the budget.